As you know from some of my previous posts, I have been having issues with my lower back for quite some time. Having gone to several therapists, chiropractors and doctors, my most recent doctor, Dr. Clifford Stark, medical director at Sports Medicine at Chelsea, has been the first and only one to uncover the real problem. He has found that my ligaments are very loose, which creates instability in my lower back. This becomes a vicious cycle because, as he states, the most important factor in controlling this problem is to maintain strong muscles, especially my core. The injections he did to stabilize my ligaments, called PRP and prolotherapy, were only part of the equation. Physical therapy has been a long frustrating haul until he recently introduced me to a new product that has done wonders for my stability, theIndo Board, developed by Hunter Joslin.

Most people get the Indo Original Training Packagewhich consists of a board to place on top of a cylindrical roller or an inflatable disc. The idea that whatever the exercise, even just standing, is extremely difficult because it creates an unstable surface, which forces me to activate muscles to keep from loosing my balance. I’ve tried many other balancing products at the gym and at physical therapy, but none have activated as many muscles as this has. I can feel the muscles firing in my glutes, abductors, adductors, lower back, pelvis, abs, quads, hamstrings and other core stabilizers.

Although the product was originally designed to prepare for board sports, it’s also very helpful with many other sports and activities because balance is the foundation for every sport. If you are a surfer or always wanted to be, this is the perfect product for you to have in your home! The Indo Board was featured on “The Doctor’s” program and you can see the video here to get a good idea of how it works.

Click here and here for some other video links to see what else can be done with the indo board. And here’s a quick tip I’ll leave you with: While you will gain great strength and stability from this workout, start slow because the roller in will take you for a ride if you’re not careful! I am looking forward to mastering some cool tricks on the board one of these days, but I’ll take it one step at a time!